Beta sick?

Question
Hi Chris. I have 1 beta named Manuel in a 1 gallon size bowl and I have had him for over 9 months. For the past 8 months, he has been very "social" and when things were quiet, he would sit around on his fake plant or castle. I fed him a little pinch of dried blood worms once a day. For the past few weeks, he will not eat and he only floats around the top of the bowl. (Normally he stays near the bottom except to eat or swim) He rarely swims around and rarely "plays" in his plant or castle. His coloring looks fine, and all of his fins are in good shape. He seems to be breathing well and has no growths on his body. I tried a different brand of bloodworms and some goldfish flakes that I had here, and he still won't eat. I have also changed his water regularly, using BowlPrep, and I let the water sit for over 24 hours. I'm getting worried...any ideas what may be wrong? Thank you, Jen

Answer
Hi Jen;

He may need to be warmer. Cool water can cause constipation and then gas that can make bettas float. Put a lamp on him to get the temperature up to 80 or 82. Once he starts eating again offer him (thawed) frozen green peas broken into little chunks. Here are some sites to help you with more betta info;

www.healthybetta.com
www.bettatalk.com

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins